Hydraulic cable equalizer



Feb. 19, 1935. 1 E. T. BEATTY 9 1,991,538

HYDRAULIC CABLE EQUALIZER Filed May 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 19, 1935. E. T. BEATTY I HYDRAULIC CABLE EQUALIZER Filed May 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wk wk E. Z fifafliy v Patented Feb. 19, 1935 f neness-D I HYDRAULIC- ABIL EQUALIzER V My invention relates to a hydraulic mechanism for equalizing the load, wear and duty upon: the cables of a suspension means for anylelement, such as an elevator.

' its more important service is in connection with elevator suspensions wherein it is of critical importance that thehead-room" requirements be held down to a minimum, and at the same time that l the ofi-lead of the cables from the overheaddrum, forgood practice, be held within a range not exoiminimum head room. I

' It being a desideratum" that the equalizing means shall itself be as-ccmpact, and require as little head room, as possible, I have designed an hydraulic equalizer whichiis characterized by the provision of a universal joint between the load 7 bearing members of the several suspension'cables and thesupport from which the elevator is hung.

The term elevator as -h'ereinafter used is inelusive of any weight 'or-load element. 1 My invention further contemplates a novel, simple and effective'arrangement of universal bearing seats in a supporting plate vator, each adaptedto receivea complemental bearing member Jon the head of-an angularly movable cylinder: having its reciprocable plunger connected-to the cable, or on the plunger which is angularly movable and'coacts with areciprocable cylinder connectedto-the cable which it respectively controls. e I e It is a-distinctadvantage of my invention that cable connection I cause" all of the cables and their connections to work i at all times in the "true line of pull on the cables, and'thus any side-stress is avoided. f

on the moving parts of the equalizer My invention further contemplates that the hydraulic elements shall be so coupledupas to permit of the. independent play oneach cable supporting element to compensate 'for difference in cable'lengthsor' wear in the overhead pulley grooves which would otherwise impose uponapableaaslippage. equal to thefextent of the excesswear of its groove rela-' tive to the othergrooves oithe pulley.

.My invention" further contemplates connectingthe flexible pressure equalizingfitubes, which couple the hydraulic cylinders to ainovable element at or nearthe center from which the' universal bearing: seat is struck so that the rockingof the cylinders will produce only negligible. stress or flexing uponthe tubes. Wherethe cylinder engages .the..univer'sal g seat, the. point oil tube coni Though my'invention-is adaptedto various uses; 1

for -the eleparts throughout the drawings. by providing a universal oint mounting-ioreach 3 'in Figs. 1 to outturned channels suitably connected to the for: unequal or differential 7 nection can be below'theseat plate thus reduc I ingheadroomandeafiording better production for the tubes.

My invention further comprises thenovel details of construction and arrangements of parts .5

which are hereinafter more particularlydescribed and claimed-and which are shown in two. em-

bodiments in the accompanying drawings which form apart'of this specificatiom-and in which:-

. Fig. l-is a side vview of an elevator suspension 1-0 showing the cab broken away; ceeding one-fourth ofran inch ofIofi-lead per foot Fig; 2 is a sectiontaken on tne line II-QII of Fig. 3;

Fig.3 is a front elevation in detail of the equal- 'izer:mechanism with, one-cylinder broken away 7 1'5 in vertical central cross section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in vertical cross section of the plunger neck and its ball joint seat; Fig. 5 is 31580171011811 .viewon the line V-V of Fig.6; is a detail planview; and Fig. 7a side elevation of the lower head for an equalizing cylinder; V e

Fig., 8:; is a crosssectional view taken on;the line .VIIL-VIII ofrFig. 9, showing a modification ofmy inventionwherein the plungers are reciprocable and the cylinders rock in universal bearingspand v V Fig. 9 is a side elevation'of the modified type of my. invention showing one cylinder broken away in vertical half section. j

, Similar reference numeralsrefer to similar in the embodiment of 'my. invention illustrated '7, I show'thecrossheajd composed of.

supporting frame work 11 for the elevator 12. These channels have bolted to them overhead'a plate 13 having machinedin its under facea plurality of countersunk seats 14 for ball joint bear- 'ings 15 with central'openings registering in the bearing and seat to permit the free. passage therethrough of the'top neck 16 on a plunger 17. This plunger has surrounding the lower end o'f-its 1 its upper end enlarged and threaded to receive the threaded shank of a special connection20.

very of adjacent cylinders to engage, and I am able to bore 21. A sleeve 27 fitting snugly about the body 23 is adapted to. be jammed-between the shoulder 24 and the top ofthe neck 16.of the plunger, thus establishing a tight joint. This sleeve has either a single boss 28, or a'pair of bosses 28, according to its position in the, equalizer assembly, and each boss has a threaded hole therethrough, communicating with the-groove 25, into which is screwed one end of an arched yield able connection 29 leading to an adjacent cylinder.

A nipple 31, axially bored, and externally threaded, is screwed into the lower end of the plunger bore 19, and a cup leather 32 backed by a washer 33 is held in placeby'a nut 34- screwed on the nipple. I r b Each plunger, as thus described, is received and slidably mounted within a cylinder 35, the lower end of which isinternally threaded and screwed on to a boss '36 integral with a bottom cylinder head 37 having opposed ears vertically bored at 38 in juxtaposition to the outside cylinder wall to permit a pair of suspension rods 39 to pass along each side of the cylinder and through the head .37 to which they are connected by means of the nuts 40.

These. rods, at their" upper ends, pass freely through holes 41 formed in the top plate 13, and each receives a loose sleeve 42 resting on the top a plate. The rods project above the sleeves having their upper ends reduced and threaded, each pair of rods being connected rigidly by nuts toa hanger bar 43 swiveled on a connection 44 associated with a conventional shackle 45. Each shackle thus,

through its hanger bar '43 and the pairof rods 39 suspended therefrom is connected to a lower cylinder head 3'7, and acts through a fluid body interposed between it and the plunger' 'to provide an hydraulic support for the suspended weight. a The mechanism thus far described serves as a single cable connection, and a duplicate thereof will be provided for each cable, it being observed by reference to Fig. 5 that the suspension rods are set in a plane diagonal to the transverse line of cylinders, thus enabling the cylinders to beset on closer centers and viewed in front elevation.

This arrangement also permits the elements of each transverse row ofcylinders to be brought closely togetherwithout causing the 'ears38 bring the assembly of equalizing cylinders into very close relationship.

The tubes 29 connecting the cylinders in each transverse row are, similar, and a connection is provided between the endcylinders of the two' transverse rows so as to bring all-cylinders in,

the equalizer mechanism into communication.

The hanger bars 43 stand spaced above the sleeves 42 about the same distance that the nipples 31 are spaced from the lower cylinder heads. This spacing provides ample. clearance to permit each cylinder to have the requisite vertical play. relative to its plunger to perform its equalizing function between the nipple 31 and the top .plate 13.

on the drum.

under; the requisite initial pressure 'to' bear dead weight load and the, normal live load. I i

the ears 38to overlap, as

-The upper end of the cylinders are all left open, no glands or stuffing boxes being necessary, 1 I

and there is-only one packing required for each cylinder, namely, the cup leather 33.

for a six cable suspension, in the manner de scribed, and having connected each shackle 45 to its respectivecable 46, and having filled the several cylinders with oil or other fluid through their Having assembled the equalizer elements, say. 5

filling ports 21,'the equalizer is ready for service 10 I and its operation follows: i i

The load of the elevator acting through plate 13 supports the elevator on the ball joints be- 'may be briefly described as I tween'the plungers 17 andthe seats 18, leaving 15 a each plungerfree to have a universal movement which will enable its cylinder toset itself in'perfect alignment with the pull on itsrespective cable 4 6 andshackle connections 44'and 45. If new v there be unequal stretch in the cables, or if they 20 are initiallyiof unequal length, orifby reason of improper manufacture or uneven wear the cit-- I cumfe'rence of the grooves-insthe overhead pulley 47 forthe several cables become unequal, it will be necessary for the equalizing'fun ction to come {25 into play and this will take place by the cylinder or cylinders *35 connected tothe longer cableor cables giving down; and they cylinder orcylinders connected .to the other cable or cables being cor-v respondingly raised so that the load isequalized 30 j on each cable, and this equalization is maintained notwithstanding any inequality in cable groove dimensions by the vertical play. of the-cylinder connectedrto theacable working in the off size groove whereby. the cylinder will rise or. fall to 35 V compensate the diiferent lineal travel of the cable in the groove without i posing slippage or wear It will be observed that in my partici zlar design the cylinders can be brought very closely together 40 3 both laterally and transversely, and that it is permissible to use my suspension with anofl lead very materially less than the. minimum requirements of a quarter .of an inch per foot of minimum headroom; V 7

Oil or any desirable liquid may be used in the cylinders, and any fluid medium whether com pressibleor not may-be substituted, but it ,will be necessary to, put thecompressible medium these The universal joint seats for the angularly movable. element are nearly concentric with the equalizing tube connections, the centers. being abovethe load bearing plate 10 (Fig. 3) and below 55 g the load bearing plate 50 (Fig. 9), andthus Ire;

. duce to a minimum strains on the equalizer; tube connections.-

vWhile ball universal joint assembly joints are shown, any maybe substituted.

Though I show each cylinder and piston assemioo v bly connected to a single cable, it is to be underforms, it will be obvious to those skilled-fin the, art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of a various other changes and modifications, .withoutdeparting'fromthe spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore,- thatonly such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are imposed by theprior' .art or asare specifically set forth'in the appended claims.

WhatIclaimis:'

r A cable suspension equalizer comprising a It j 1,991,538 plurality of cylinder and piston assemblies,

means to connect supporting cables to corresponding elements of said assemblies, means to suspend the load rby universal joints from the other elements of said assemblies, means to interpose a fluid medium between the elements of each assembly, and means to equalize the pressure of said medium in the cylinders.

2. A cable suspension according to claim 1, in which the pressure equalizing means comprises by-pass pipes connected to the assembly elements adjacent to the center about which they have play on their respective universal joints.

3. In an equalizer means for a multiple cable load suspension, a plurality of pistons and cylin-' ders therefor, a load support having universal joint connections to said cylinders, cables connected to said pistons, a fluid medium between each piston and cylinder, and means to equalize the pressure of said fluid mediums in the several cylinders.

4. In an equalizer means for a multiple cable load suspension, a plurality of pistons and cylinders therefor, a load support having universal joint connections to said cylinders, cables connected to said-pistons, a fluid medium between each piston and cylinder, and means to equalize the pressure of said fluid mediums in the several cylinders, said equalizing means comprising pipes connected to the several cylinders in line with and adjacent to the center of their respective universal joints.

5. In an equalizing means for a multiple cable suspension, a plurality of tubular pistons closed at. their upper ends, cylinders in which said pistons work, a load support having universal joint connections to said pistons, cables connected overhead to said cylinders, a fluid medium interposed between each piston and its cylinder, an equalizer means establishing communication between said fluid mediums in the several cylinders through said pistons and through pipes connected to the pistons at or near the center of their respective universal joints.

6. In an equalizer for a multiple cable load suspension, a plurality of pistons and cylinders therefor, a load support having universal joint connectionsjto said pistons, cables connected to said cylinders, a fluid medium under compres- I sion between each piston and its respective cylinder, and means to equalize the pressure of said fluid mediums in the several cylinders.

7. In an equalizer for a multiple cable load suspension, a plurality of pistons and cylinders therefor, a load support having universal joint connections to said pistons, cables connected to said cylinders, 'a fluid medium under compression between each piston and its respective cylinder,

1 and means to equalize the pressure of said fluid mediums in the several cylinders comprising pipes in communication with the cylinders through the ports in their respective pistons and connected to the pistons near the center of their respective universal joints about which they have angular play.

8. A cable suspension equalizer comprising a plate connected to the load, cylinders having ball joint bearings'between their upper ends and said plate, pistons in the cylinders projecting upwardly through said plates free for angular play, cables connected to said pistons, fluid bodies maintained between the pistons and upper ends of the cylinders, and equalizer pipes connecting the cylinders below said plate.

EDWARD T. BEA'I'I'Y. 

